[Match Thread ] Singapore Tri Nation T20 Game 1 | ZIM V/s NEP

[zimbos_05]

Mutumbami did well to get us over the line, but he really needs to work on his control. He came and from the very first ball he was double stepping and trying to swing big. No head balance or shot control. Not what you need to be doing when 5 down. A lot of the wickets were very schoolboy, which does not bode well for when they have to face some decent attacks.

Lamichhane is a class bowler. He was getting some very good turn. Our guys need to be better at approaching such bowlers. They play with too much fear in them.

Not really going to blame Williams after 1 game in charge as captain, but bowling changes do need to be better. Very hard also when the squad you have been given is so unbalanced. No more than 2 clear bowlers in the side. Absolute shambles in terms of game plan and idea and this comes down to coach and selectors.

Props also needs to be given to Burl. He steadied the ship when it was needed and let Mutumbami play the big shots. Showing that he can play a role when entrusted.

I think overall, we are clueless when it comes to T20. Our side is all sorts of unbalanced and too many changes and guesses in terms of what we need to do.

[kngow]

Ryan Burl should be in the top 4. Behind Mutombodzi and Maruma is not his spot. I'd have him in the number 3 spot, to help steady the ship (which wobbles a lot). Also, I don't know about Tony Munyonga but I heard Matsikenyeri say that he was a batsman. If yes, why was he not even allowed to get a bat? In at 8?!

My XI: Chari, Moor, Burl, Williams, Maruma, Mutumbami, Mutombodzi, Madziva, Masakadza, Chatara, Jakiel

[TapsC]

Munyonga not bowling and then batting at 8 doesnt make sense. We were basically a man down.

Maybe 8-3 isnt the best for t20s because chances are you wont need 8 batsmen but I believe in ODIs its our best bet and it brought a bit of success under Streak. 1 of the only things we actually have going for us is that we have many "semi-all rounders". Mutombodzi and Burl should stay in the team.

I prefer Mutombodzi over Ndlovu or Wellington or Mavuta at this very moment. With the way our batting collapses a specialist spinner is not an option because they are not that much better than the part timers anyway. We dont have a Cremer right now. Give him time just like Burl was given time. Mutombodzi Burl Raza and Williams can give you 20 overs.

[Kriterion_BD]

A 5 wicket win with 11 balls to spare is fairly comfortable in T20. Yes in an ODI (Nepal have ODI status btw - they aren't a "useless" side anymore) that margin would be weak. Winning by 40 runs in an ODI is nothing, but 40 runs in a T20 is an ass-whooping. So to win with 10% of the overs remaining is a pretty comfortable chase. Akin to winning with 5 overs to spare in an ODI.

[jaybro]

Munyonga not bowling and then batting at 8 doesnt make sense. We were basically a man down.

Maybe 8-3 isnt the best for t20s because chances are you wont need 8 batsmen but I believe in ODIs its our best bet and it brought a bit of success under Streak. 1 of the only things we actually have going for us is that we have many "semi-all rounders". Mutombodzi and Burl should stay in the team.

I prefer Mutombodzi over Ndlovu or Wellington or Mavuta at this very moment. With the way our batting collapses a specialist spinner is not an option because they are not that much better than the part timers anyway. We dont have a Cremer right now. Give him time just like Burl was given time. Mutombodzi Burl Raza and Williams can give you 20 overs.

Yes I agree with everything you said there, in a perfect world Zimbabwe would have 7 good batsman & a front line strike spinner, but sadly they don’t. Mutombodzi could be an option batting @8 going forward in ODIs.

[zimbos_05]

Also, I don't know about Tony Munyonga but I heard Matsikenyeri say that he was a batsman. If yes, why was he not even allowed to get a bat? In at 8?!

Which is why I have been saying that the coach and selectors have no idea and are useless. There is no clear plan with our teams. No one knows what role they are meant to be playing or what they are doing and it changes so much that it affects their game.

We don't really have a proper ODI, Test, T20 squad. It is all very thrown together and incoherent. In some games, we have 3 wicketkeepers on the field. We select guys for batting but then bat them at 8. We go in to games with 2 specialist bowlers. We want part time spinners, but then we don't know how to coach them to be such.

It's all a shambles and we are probably the only team in World cricket that is such. I was driving to work today and it just saddened me thinking about how we were once a regular top 8 side in all formats, now we can barely string together a decent partnership against the likes of Nepal.

[encore]

Munyonga not bowling and then batting at 8 doesnt make sense. We were basically a man down.

Maybe 8-3 isnt the best for t20s because chances are you wont need 8 batsmen but I believe in ODIs its our best bet and it brought a bit of success under Streak. 1 of the only things we actually have going for us is that we have many "semi-all rounders". Mutombodzi and Burl should stay in the team.

I prefer Mutombodzi over Ndlovu or Wellington or Mavuta at this very moment. With the way our batting collapses a specialist spinner is not an option because they are not that much better than the part timers anyway. We dont have a Cremer right now. Give him time just like Burl was given time. Mutombodzi Burl Raza and Williams can give you 20 overs.

Taps please do this for me whenever for each format(Test, ODIs amd T20Is) if you're keen:

Compose your XI based on a conventional formula or structure you generally believe in, then after that attach the current active(so no retired) players that you think are most suited to fulfill those roles. The general conventions are Openers(1-2), Upper Order(1-3), Middle Order(4-7), Tail(8-11). Obviously wicketkeepers and batting allrounders beling in the top order(1-7), not the tail(8-11).

Same with the make up of your bowling, your strategies and selections for 8-11.

I would mostly like to engage with guys based on their approach to building Zimbabwe Cricket, not their approach to pappering over the cracks in terms of what they believe are the shortfalls. I think that's been the case for the past 5-7 years at ZC, and now I'd like to hear what would like to do/have done. This is irrespective of past/current squads and selections, but going forward.

NB: For bowlers, admittedly, opposition and conditions do tend to dictate approach, but let's assume the ODI championship calendar will be abused, with most teams scheduling ZIM for as late as possible or around their SA tours, plus AFG and BD being a rarity as they have been. So I suspect the ZIM bowling will have the IRE, SCO, NED, UAE etc in mind most of the time as home&away, and the rest will be inward. So ZIM pitches will mostly be the case.

[TapsC]

Well its a Sunday and I do have a little time in this fuel line.

First in terms of Tests and T20s I dont think we play enough games to have a development programme there so we should play our best teams. For ODIs I believe we need a development programme as it guarantess our survival.

Secondly in ODIs I believe Hami and Mire going is good. Mire was living off reputation for over 18 months. I also believe we should "retire" 1 of the senior players a year. Hami being the first. Then Ervine end of next year. Raza in 2021 and both Williams and BT after the 2023 world cup. I genuinely believe those 2 can last the distance. Raza for me looks uninterested. Even when he is playing ODIs. Forever in t20 mode. So maybe he can start instead of Ervine. This is for ODIs only by the way. At the same time efforts must be made to bring in players.for example Murray to takeover Hami's contract. Welch for Ervine. Blessing for Raza. I also dont count Jarvis as a senior player. He is slightly younger.

ODIs
Kamunhukamwe(healthy list A average)
Burl(coming good)
Musakanda(needs to be given a run)
BT
Ervine
Williams
Raza
Mutombodzi(best batsman out of all those spinners)
Jarvis
Chatara
Mpofu(very good slower ball)

8 of those guys would still be around for the 2022 qualifiers with only Bobby Raza and Ervine being replaced. Hopefully for Murray Blessing and 1 other batsman brought back into the system. Rumour has it Matigimu wants to try his luck down south so I wont include him and thats why Jarvis probably survives. Not too sure about Mumba in ODIs but we will see I guess

Tests
We only play like 2 a year so pick the best you can

PJ(decent test player)
Burl(good FC average)
BT
Ervine
Williams
Raza
Chakabva(wk)(no other choice until Murray commits)
Mutombodzi(we dont have a good frontline spinner)
Jarvis
Mumba
Chatara

T20
Again pick the best you have. I would even bring back Hami and Mire and Waller . Its only 3 hours.

Kamunhukamwe
Zhuwao
Musakanda
BT
Elton
PJ
Raza
Mavuta
Madziva
Mpofu
Chatara

Basically all these guys up to number 9 can hit a clean 6 without having to get out of their comfort zone. Im sorry but Burl Ervine and Williams will always have to do something out of their skillset to accelerate which is too risky for me if we are serious about qualifying for a t20 world cup

I didnt use conditions etc because I am now at the front of the fuel line

[TapsC]

Also before anybody says burl and ervine have recent scores in t20s just remember Zhuwao scored 265 in a Logan cup game against the Rhinos who have a very strong bowling lineup but you still wouldnt put him in your test team. 1 offs do happen

[jaybro]

Sean Williams No.5 ranked T20 allrounder #justsaying